grepcent public filings, reorganized for comparison

FRANKLIN FINANCIAL SERVICES CORP /PA/ (FRAF) FY 2023 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from FRANKLIN FINANCIAL SERVICES CORP /PA/'s 10-K for fiscal year 2023. Filing date: 2024-03-11. Report date: 2023-12-31. Accession: 0000723646-24-000016.

This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high.

Company profile: FRAF · All MD&A years: index · Previous year: FY 2022 · Next year: FY 2024

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Summary of Selected Financial Data as of and for the Year Ended December 31
20232022202120202019
(Dollars in thousands, except per share)
Balance Sheet Highlights
Total assets$1,836,039$1,699,579$1,773,806$1,535,038$1,269,157
Debt securities available for sale, at fair value472,503487,247530,292397,331187,873
Loans, net1,240,9331,036,866983,746992,915922,609
Deposits1,537,9781,551,4481,584,3591,354,5731,125,392
Shareholders' equity132,136114,197157,065145,176127,528
Summary of Operations
Interest income$76,762$56,449$47,573$45,939$49,235
Interest expense23,1254,8632,9023,9787,113
Net interest income53,63751,58644,67141,96142,122
Provision for credit losses - loans2,589650(2,100)4,625237
Provision for credit losses - unfunded commitments135
Net interest income after provision for credit losses50,91350,93646,77137,33641,885
Noninterest income14,85115,25019,48815,08415,424
Noninterest expense50,01148,69143,24539,36238,314
Income before income taxes15,75317,49523,01413,05818,995
Federal income tax expense2,1552,5573,3982582,880
Net income$13,598$14,938$19,616$12,800$16,115
Performance Measurements
Return on average assets0.78%0.83%1.17%0.91%1.29%
Return on average equity11.39%11.64%13.20%9.56%13.17%
Return on average tangible equity (1)12.32%12.52%14.05%10.24%14.22%
Efficiency ratio (1)70.75%71.21%66.12%67.32%65.36%
Net interest margin, fully tax equivalent3.31%3.11%2.88%3.21%3.68%
Shareholders' Value (per common share)
Diluted earnings per share$3.10$3.36$4.42$2.93$3.67
Basic earnings per share3.113.384.442.943.68
Regular cash dividends paid1.281.281.251.201.17
Book value30.2326.0135.3633.0729.30
Tangible book value (1)28.1723.9633.3431.0227.23
Market value*31.5536.1033.1027.0338.69
Market value/book value ratio104.37%138.79%93.61%81.74%132.05%
Market value/tangible book value ratio112.01%150.67%99.29%87.13%142.11%
Price/earnings multiple year-to-date10.1810.747.499.2310.54
Dividend yield**4.06%3.55%3.87%4.44%3.10%
Dividend payout ratio41.15%37.88%28.16%40.83%31.74%
Safety and Soundness
Average equity/average assets6.82%7.17%8.89%9.48%9.78%
Risk-based capital ratio (Total)14.45%17.21%18.41%17.69%16.08%
Leverage ratio (Tier 1)9.01%8.95%8.52%8.69%9.72%
Common equity ratio (Tier 1)11.82%14.22%15.20%14.32%14.82%
Nonperforming loans/gross loans0.01%0.01%0.74%0.87%0.42%
Nonperforming assets/total assets0.01%0.01%0.42%0.57%0.31%
Allowance for credit loss/loans1.28%1.35%1.51%1.66%1.28%
Net loan (charge-offs) recoveries/average loans-0.02%-0.15%0.04%0.02%-0.07%
Assets under Management
Wealth Management Services (fair value)$1,094,747$904,317$946,964$836,381$790,949
Held at third-party brokers (fair value)135,423116,398118,046112,624127,976
(1) See the section titled "GAAP versus Non-GAAP Presentation" that follows.
* Based on the closing price of FRAF as quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market for all years shown.
** Based on annualized 4th quarter dividend and year-end market value.

18

Table of Contents

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements appearing herein which are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements refer to a future period or periods, reflecting Management’s current views as to likely future developments, and use words “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” or similar terms. Because forward-looking statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors over which the Corporation has no direct control, actual results could differ materially from those contemplated in such statements. These factors include (but are not limited to) the following: general economic conditions, changes in interest rates, changes in the rate of inflation and product and service prices, change in the Corporation’s cost of funds, changes in government monetary policy, changes in government regulation and taxation of financial institutions, effects of government shutdowns and budget negotiations, impacts of the interruption, degradation or breach in security of our information and technology systems or other technological risks and attacks, acts of war, terrorism or geopolitical instabilities, changes in accounting policies or practices, changes in technology, the intensification of competition within the Corporation’s market area, and other similar factors.

We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. They only reflect Management’s analysis as of this date. The Corporation does not revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or changed circumstances. Please carefully review the risk factors described in other documents the Corporation files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Application of Critical Accounting Policies:

Disclosure of the Corporation’s significant accounting policies is included in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements. These policies are particularly sensitive requiring significant judgments, estimates and assumptions to be made by Management. Senior management has discussed the development of such estimates, and related Management Discussion and Analysis disclosure, with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

The following accounting policy is identified by management to be critical to the results of operations: Allowance for Credit Losses (ACL).

19

Table of Contents

GAAP versus non-GAAP Presentations – The Corporation supplements its traditional GAAP measurements with certain non-GAAP measurements to evaluate its performance and to eliminate the effect of intangible assets.  By eliminating intangible assets, the Corporation believes it presents a measurement that is comparable to companies that have no intangible assets or to companies that have eliminated intangible assets in similar calculations. However, not all companies may use the same calculation method for each measurement. The Efficiency Ratio measures the cost to generate one dollar of revenue. The non-GAAP measurements are not intended to be used as a substitute for the related GAAP measurements and should not be read in isolation or relied upon as a substitute for GAAP measures. The following table shows the calculation of the non-GAAP measurements.

(Dollars in thousands, except per share)For the Year Ended December 31
20232022202120202019
Return on Average Tangible Equity (non-GAAP)
Net income$13,598$14,938$19,616$12,800$16,115
Average shareholders' equity119,408128,283148,637133,958122,377
Less average intangible assets(9,016)(9,016)(9,016)(9,016)(9,016)
Average shareholders' equity (non-GAAP)110,392119,267139,621124,942113,361
Return on average tangible equity (non-GAAP)12.32%12.52%14.05%10.24%14.22%
Tangible Book Value (per share) (non-GAAP)
Shareholders' equity$132,136$114,197$157,065$145,176$127,528
Less intangible assets(9,016)(9,016)(9,016)(9,016)(9,016)
Shareholders' equity (non-GAAP)123,120105,181148,049136,160118,512
Shares outstanding (in thousands)4,3714,3904,4414,3894,353
Tangible book value (non-GAAP)28.1723.9633.3431.0227.23
Efficiency Ratio (non-GAAP)
Noninterest expense$50,011$48,691$43,245$39,362$38,314
Net interest income53,63751,58644,67141,96142,122
Plus tax equivalent adjustment to net interest income1,0941,3811,4661,4071,393
Plus noninterest income, net of securities transactions15,95415,41019,27115,10415,102
Total revenue70,68568,37765,40858,47258,617
Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP)70.75%71.21%66.12%67.32%65.36%

Results of Operations:

Management’s Overview

The following discussion and analysis is intended to assist the reader in reviewing the financial information presented and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and other financial data presented elsewhere herein.

Summary

Franklin Financial Services Corporation reported consolidated earnings of $13.6 million ($3.10 per diluted share) for 2023 compared with $14.9 million ($3.36 per diluted share) for the same period in 2022.

Year-to-date, net interest income was $53.6 million, an increase of 4.0% compared to $51.6 million for the same period in 2022. On a year-over-year comparison, the net interest margin was 3.31% for 2023 compared to 3.11% in 2022. The increase in the 2023 net interest margin was due primarily to a 1.30% increase in the yield on earning assets from 3.40% in 2022 to 4.70% in 2023 as all asset classes had higher yields in 2023. This increase was primarily the result of action by the Federal Reserve to increase short-term interest rates in 2023. The cost of interest-bearing liabilities increased from 0.36% for 2022 to 1.75% for 2023. Likewise, the cost of all deposits increased from 0.23% in 2022 to 1.23% in 2023.

Average earning assets for 2023 were $1.656 billion compared to $1.702 billion in 2022, a decrease of 2.8%. In 2023, the average balance of interest-earning cash balances decreased $109.2 million (68.4%) to support loan growth and to offset a decrease in average deposits during the year. The average balance of the investment portfolio decreased $48.9 million (9.6%), while the average balance of the loan portfolio increased $111.3 million (10.8%), over the prior year

20

Table of Contents

averages. Within the loan portfolio, average commercial loan balances increased $77.7 million during the year and residential mortgages increased $33.2 million. Total deposits averaged $1.530 billion for 2023, a decrease of $101.4 million (6.2%) from the average balance for 2022. All deposit categories reported a year-over-year decrease in average balances, except for time deposits. On a year-over-year comparison, the yield on earning assets increased 130 basis points from 3.40% in 2022 to 4.70% for 2023, while the cost of interest-bearing liabilities increased 139 basis points from 0.36% to 1.75% over the same period.

On January 1, 2023, the Bank adopted a new accounting standard for the calculation of its allowance for credit losses (ACL), referred to as the current expected credit loss (CECL) model. Upon adoption, the Bank recorded a decrease of $536 thousand to the ACL for loans, an increase of $411 thousand to the ACL for unfunded commitments (carried in Other Liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet), an increase of $98 thousand to retained earnings, and a deferred tax liability of $26 thousand. The provision for credit losses for 2023 was calculated using the CECL model, while the provision for loan losses for 2022 was calculated under the previous methodology. For 2023, the provision for credit losses on loans was $2.6 million compared to $650 thousand for 2022. The increase in the provision for credit loss was due primarily to growth in the loan portfolio. The ACL ratio for loans was 1.28% on December 31, 2023, compared to 1.35% on December 31, 2022. For 2023, the provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments was $135 thousand compared to $0 for 2022. The ACL for unfunded commitments was $2.0 million on December 31, 2023, compared to $1.5 million on December 31, 2022.

Noninterest income was $14.9 million compared to $15.3 million in 2022. The decrease was driven primarily by a loss of $1.1 million from the sale of securities as part of a portfolio restructuring in 2023, partially offset by increases in wealth management fees and debit card income.

Noninterest expense was $50.0 million in 2023 compared to $48.7 million in 2022. The following categories contributed to the year-over-year increase: salaries and benefits increased $720 thousand (primarily salaries due to a highly competitive labor market, merit and performance increases), net occupancy increased $329 thousand (primarily depreciation on the new headquarters building put in service in July 2022), and a lease termination expense of $495 thousand.

The effective federal income tax rate was 13.7% for 2023, which reflects the benefit of $367 thousand in tax credits recorded during the year. Without the tax credits, the effective rate year-to-date would have been 16.0%.

Total assets at December 31, 2023 were $1.836 billion compared to $1.700 billion at December 31, 2022, an increase of 8.0%. Significant balance sheet changes since December 31, 2022, include:

Short-term interest-bearing deposits in other banks decreased $43.4 million (92.3%) and the investment portfolio decreased $14.3 million (2.9%).

The net loan portfolio increased $204.1 million (19.7%) over the year-end 2022 balance, with commercial purpose loans increasing $149.4 million from year-end 2022.

Deposits decreased $13.5 million (0.9%) over year-end 2022 with decreases in small business checking accounts and interest-bearing accounts.

Total borrowings were $130.0 million at year end, comprised of $40 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and $90 million from the Federal Reserve Bank through the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP).

Shareholders’ equity increased $17.9 million from December 31, 2022. Retained earnings increased $8.1 million in 2023 and accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) increased $10.3 million as the fair value of the investment portfolio improved during the year. At December 31, 2023, the book value of the Corporation’s common stock was $30.23 per share and tangible book value was $28.17 per share. In December 2023, an open market repurchase plan was approved to repurchase 150,000 shares over a one-year period. The Bank is considered to be well-capitalized under the regulatory guidance as of December 31, 2023.

Other key performance measurements are presented elsewhere in Item 7 of this report.

A more detailed discussion of the areas that had the greatest effect on the reported results follows.

21

Table of Contents

Net Interest Income

The most important source of the Corporation’s earnings is net interest income, which is defined as the difference between income on interest-earning assets and the expense of interest-bearing liabilities supporting those assets. Principal categories of interest-earning assets are loans and securities, while deposits, short-term borrowings and long-term debt are the principal categories of interest-bearing liabilities. For the purpose of this discussion, balance sheet items refer to the average balance for the year and net interest income is adjusted to a fully taxable-equivalent basis. This tax-equivalent adjustment facilitates performance comparisons between taxable and tax-free assets by increasing the tax-free income by an amount equivalent to the Federal income taxes that would have been paid if this income were taxable at the Corporation’s 21% Federal statutory rate. The components of net interest income are detailed in Tables 1, 2 and 3.

Table 1 shows the change in tax-equivalent net interest income year over year. Changes in interest income and expense are driven by changes in balance (volume) and changes in the average rate on interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. The changes attributable to rate or volume are shown in Table 2. The yield on earning assets (Table 3) increased to 4.70% for 2023 from 3.40% for 2022. The benefit provided by tax-exempt income was $1.1 million in 2023.

Table 1. Net Interest Income

Change
(Dollars in thousands)20232022$%
Interest income$76,762$56,449$20,31336.0
Interest expense23,1254,86318,262375.5
Net interest income53,63751,5862,0514.0
Tax equivalent adjustment1,0941,381(287)(20.8)
Tax equivalent net interest income$54,731$52,967$1,7643.3

Table 2 identifies increases and decreases in tax equivalent net interest income due to either changes in average volume or to changes in average rates for interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. Numerous and simultaneous balance and rate changes occur during the year. The amount of change that is not due solely to volume or rate is allocated proportionally to both.

22

Table of Contents

Table 2. Rate-Volume Analysis of Tax Equivalent Net Interest Income

2023 Compared to 20222022 Compared to 2021
Increase (Decrease) due to:Increase (Decrease) due to:Increase (Decrease) due to:
(Dollars in thousands)VolumeRateNetVolumeRateNet
Interest earned on:
Interest-earning deposits in other banks$(2,571)$2,495$(76)$164$2,070$2,234
Investment securities:
Taxable(434)5,3054,8716232,1362,759
Nontaxable(885)(185)(1,070)(242)174(68)
Investment securities(1,319)5,1203,8013812,3102,691
Loans:
Residential real estate 1-4 family:
First liens1,5057782,2836194155
Junior liens and lines of credit(19)1,6911,672105760865
Residential real estate - construction(30)32029084244328
Commercial real estate3,5685,8349,4021,8402,1674,007
Commercial652,4832,548(1,114)(354)(1,468)
Consumer2680106(63)42(21)
Loans5,11511,18616,3019132,9533,866
Total net change in interest income1,22518,80120,0261,4587,3338,791
Interest expense on:
Interest checking(155)1,3541,19987271358
Money management(90)11,34911,259871,6251,712
Savings(9)9182102737
Time deposits1742,3132,487(46)(98)(144)
Deposits(80)15,10715,0271381,8251,963
Subordinate notes2242(4)(2)
Federal Reserve Bank borrowings2,3742,374
Federal Home Loan Bank advances857857
Total net change in interest expense3,15315,10918,2621401,8211,961
Change in tax equivalent net interest income$(1,928)$3,692$1,764$1,318$5,512$6,830

23

Table of Contents

The following table presents average balances, tax-equivalent (T/E) interest income, interest expense, and yields earned or rates paid on the assets or liabilities. Nonaccrual loans are included in the average loan balances.

Table 3. Analysis of Net Interest Income

20232022
AverageIncome orAverageAverageIncome orAverage
(Dollars in thousands)balanceexpenseyield/ratebalanceexpenseyield/rate
Interest-earning assets:
Interest-earning deposits in other banks$50,451$2,4074.77%$159,610$2,4831.56%
Investment securities:
Taxable406,93714,8463.65%424,7039,9752.35%
Tax exempt54,4161,5232.80%85,5662,5933.03%
Investment securities461,35316,3693.55%510,26912,5682.46%
Loans:
Residential real estate 1-4 family:
First liens173,9867,9124.55%139,5775,6294.03%
Junior liens and lines of credit72,6234,0505.58%73,2002,3783.25%
Residential real estate - construction21,1241,3036.17%21,7371,0134.66%
Commercial real estate626,81733,2045.30%550,77223,8024.32%
Commercial243,04512,0804.97%241,3959,5323.95%
Consumer6,2855318.45%5,9384257.16%
Loans1,143,88059,0805.16%1,032,61942,7794.14%
Total interest-earning assets1,655,684$77,8564.70%1,702,499$57,8303.40%
Other assets95,48987,300
Total assets$1,751,173$1,789,799
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
Interest checking$459,447$2,0780.45%$543,553$8790.16%
Money Management568,52113,8012.43%588,7282,5420.43%
Savings117,0261830.16%128,2031010.08%
Time91,5122,7813.04%64,2732940.46%
Total interest-bearing deposits1,236,50618,8431.52%1,324,7573,8160.29%
Subordinate notes19,6421,0515.35%19,6051,0475.34%
Federal Reserve Bank borrowings53,0412,3744.48%0.00%
Federal Home Loan Bank advances14,7048575.83%0.00%
Total interest-bearing liabilities1,323,89323,1251.75%1,344,3624,8630.36%
Noninterest-bearing deposits293,001306,102
Other liabilities14,87111,052
Shareholders' equity119,408128,283
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity$1,751,173$1,789,799
T/E net interest income/Net interest margin54,7313.31%52,9673.11%
Tax equivalent adjustment(1,094)(1,381)
Net interest income$53,637$51,586
Net Interest Spread2.95%3.04%
Cost of Funds1.43%0.29%
Cost of Deposits1.23%0.23%

Provision for Credit Losses

In 2023, the Bank recorded gross loan charge-offs of $422 thousand, which were partially offset by $246 thousand of recoveries, resulting in net loan charge-offs of $176 thousand. For 2023, the Corporation recorded $2.7 million as a provision for credit loss expense allocated between the provision for loans of $2.6 million and the provision for unfunded commitments of $135 thousand. Due to loan growth in 2023, the allowance for credit losses increased to $16.1 million at year-end 2023 (1.28% of total loans), compared to $14.2 million at year-end 2022 (1.35% of total loans). Management closely monitors the credit quality of the portfolio in order to ensure that an appropriate ACL is maintained. As part of this process, Management performs a comprehensive analysis of the loan portfolio considering delinquencies trends and events, current economic forecasts and conditions, and other relevant factors to determine the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses and the provision for credit losses. For more information, refer to the Loan Quality discussion and Table 10.

24

Table of Contents

Noninterest Income

The following table presents a comparison of noninterest income for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Table 4. Noninterest Income

Change
(Dollars in thousands)20232022Amount%
Noninterest Income
Wealth management fees$7,512$7,152$3605.0
Loan service charges8117248712.0
Gain on sale of loans199770(571)(74.2)
Deposit service charges and fees2,4922,527(35)(1.4)
Other service charges and fees1,8521,7241287.4
Debit card income2,1571,86828915.5
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance448436122.8
Net (losses) gains on sales of debt securities(1,119)(91)(1,028)1,129.7
Change in fair value of equity securities16(69)85(123.2)
Other483209274131.1
Total$14,851$15,250$(399)(2.6)

The most significant changes in noninterest income are discussed below:

Wealth management fees: These fees are comprised of asset management fees, estate administration and settlement fees, employee benefit plans, and commissions from the sale of insurance and investment products. Asset management fees are recurring in nature and are affected by the fair value of assets under management at the time the fees are recognized. Asset management fees totaled $6.9 million for 2023 and $6.5 million for 2022 with fluctuations in value during the year affecting fee income. The fair value of trust assets under management was $1.095 billion at year-end, compared to $904.3 million at the end of 2022. Estate fees were $295 thousand in 2023 compared to $498 thousand in 2022. By the nature of an estate settlement, these fees are considered nonrecurring. Commissions from the sale of insurance and investment products increased by $167 thousand compared to 2022.

Loan service charges: This category includes primarily commercial letter of credit fees, commercial loan prepayment penalties, mortgage servicing fees and consumer debt protection fees.

Gain on sale of loans: This category is comprised of fees from the sale of residential mortgages with servicing released in the secondary market. Due to lower origination volume, the Bank sold substantially fewer loans in 2023 compared to 2022.

Deposit fees: This category is comprised primarily of fees from overdrafts, an overdraft protection program, service charges, and account analysis fees. The decrease of $35 thousand in this category was due to a lower volume of overdraft fees.

Other service charges and fees: The most significant items in this category include fees from the Bank’s merchant card program and ATM fees. Merchant card fees increased $28 thousand while ATM fees increased $83 thousand.

Debit card income: Debit card fees are comprised of both a retail and business card program. Retail fees increased by $289 thousand, while business card fees were flat year over year. The business debit card offers a cash back rewards program based on usage, while the retail debit card offers reward points based on usage. Debit card income is reported net of reward program expense.

Net (losses) gains on sales of debt securities: The Bank took losses of $1.1 million on the sale of investment securities as part of portfolio restructuring. Due to market conditions, the Bank was able to sell low yielding bonds and reinvest at higher yields.

25

Table of Contents

Noninterest Expense

The following table presents a comparison of noninterest expense for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Table 5. Noninterest Expense

(Dollars in thousands)Change
Noninterest Expense20232022Amount%
Salaries and benefits$28,813$28,094$7192.6
Net occupancy4,3984,0693298.1
Marketing and advertising2,0711,9151568.1
Legal and professional2,3012,202994.5
Data processing4,7924,751410.9
Pennsylvania bank shares tax7451,148(403)(35.1)
FDIC insurance85173611515.6
ATM/debit card processing1,2351,428(193)(13.5)
Telecommunications40539692.3
Nonservice pension(117)567(684)(120.6)
Lease termination495495
Other4,0223,38563718.8
Total$50,011$48,691$1,3202.7

The most significant changes in noninterest expense are discussed below:

Salaries and benefits: This category is the largest noninterest expense category and includes expenses for salaries, health benefits, insurance, pension service, employment taxes and other employee benefit programs. This category increased by $719 thousand compared to the prior year from: salary increases of $1.6 million due to merit and annual increases, and new positions offset by decreases in health insurance expense of $371 thousand, $225 thousand in stock compensation expense, $153 thousand for incentive compensation plans, and $126 thousand in pension service costs. See Note 17 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information on benefit plans.

Net Occupancy: This category includes all of the expense associated with the properties and facilities used for bank operations such as depreciation, leases, maintenance, utilities and real estate taxes. Depreciation increased during 2023 from a full year of depreciation of its new headquarters building.

Legal and professional fees: This category consists of fees paid to outside legal counsel, consultants, and audit fees. Consulting fees increased $44 thousand due to advisory services related to the implementation of a customer relationship management system. Internal and external audit fees increased by $3 thousand.

Data processing: The largest cost in this category is the expense associated with the Bank’s core processing system and related services and accounted for $2.0 million of the total data processing costs in 2023 and $2.3 million in 2022.

Nonservice pension: The decrease in the nonservice pension expense was due to a $684 thousand reduction in pension settlement costs related to lump-sum pension payouts during 2022 and lower asset returns and amortization.

Lease Termination: The lease termination was for a long-term lease held for a new community office that will not be constructed.

Other: The largest increases in this category were in directors’ fees ($141 thousand) and charitable donations ($135 thousand). All other increases are due primarily to overall higher operating expenses.

Provision for Income Taxes

In 2023, the Corporation recorded a Federal income tax expense of $2.2 million compared to $2.6 million in 2022. The effective tax rate was 14.6% for 2022 and 13.7% for 2023, which reflects the benefit of $367 thousand in tax credits recorded during 2023. Without tax credits, the Bank’s effective tax rate was 16.0%. The Corporation’s 2023 and 2022 effective tax rate was lower than its statutory rate due to the effect of tax-exempt income from certain investment securities, loans, and bank owned life insurance. For a more comprehensive analysis of Federal income tax expense refer to Note 14 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

.

26

Table of Contents

Financial Condition

One method of evaluating the Corporation’s condition is in terms of its sources and uses of funds. Assets represent uses of funds while liabilities represent sources of funds. At December 31, 2023, total assets increased 8.0% over the prior year to $1.84 billion from $1.70 billion at the end of 2022.

Interest Earning Deposits in Other Banks:

Short-term interest-earning deposits, held primarily at the Federal Reserve, decreased to $3.6 million at December 31, 2023 compared to $47.0 million at December 31, 2022, as the excess cash was redeployed into the loan portfolio and deposit balances decreased. Long-term interest-earning deposits decreased from $14.0 million at December 31, 2022 to $6.2 million at December 31, 2023. The average balance of interest-earning deposits decreased to $50.5 million in 2023 compared to $159.3 million in 2022.

Investment Securities:

AFS Securities

The investment portfolio serves as a mechanism to invest funds if funding sources out pace lending activity, to provide liquidity for lending and operations, and provide collateral for deposits and borrowings. The mix of securities and investing decisions are made as a component of balance sheet management. Debt securities include U.S. Government Agencies, U.S. Government Agency mortgage-backed securities, non-agency mortgage-backed securities, state and municipal government bonds, and corporate debt primarily in the form of bank-issued subordinated debt. The weighted average life of the portfolio is 5.0 years, the effective duration (which measures the change in fair value for a 1% change in interest rates) is 3.7%, and $207.4 million (fair value) is pledged as collateral for deposits. The Bank has no investments in a single issuer that exceeds 10% of shareholders equity, except for U.S. Treasuries. All securities are classified as available for sale and all investment balances refer to fair value, unless noted otherwise. The following table presents the amortized cost and estimated fair value of investment securities by type at December 31 for the past two years:

Table 6. Investment Securities at Amortized Cost and Estimated Fair Value

20232022
AmortizedFairAmortizedFair
(Dollars in thousands)CostvalueCostvalue
U.S. Treasury$83,494$74,091$101,980$90,257
Municipal161,339138,618186,007155,455
Corporate26,33623,19826,31624,239
Agency mortgage & asset-backed142,565132,591163,274150,935
Non-agency mortgage & asset-backed108,185104,00570,75665,950
Total$521,919$472,503$548,333$486,836

The following table presents investment securities at December 31, 2023 by maturity, and the weighted average yield for each maturity presented. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because of prepayment or call options embedded in the securities. The yields presented in this table are calculated using tax-equivalent interest and the amortized cost.

Table 7. Maturity Distribution of Investment Portfolio

After one yearAfter five yearsAfter ten
One year or lessthrough five yearsthrough ten yearsyearsTotal
FairFairFairFairFair
(Dollars in thousands)ValueYieldValueYieldValueYieldValueYieldValueYield
Available for Sale
U.S. Treasury$$46,8241.26%$27,2671.33%$$74,0911.28%
Municipal4,2871.96%43,0642.32%91,2672.23%138,6182.25%
Corporate3,9616.86%18,4094.77%8284.28%23,1985.08%
Agency mortgage & asset-backed932.84%12,1931.62%27,7972.77%92,5084.64%132,5913.95%
Non-agency mortgage & asset-backed6,7237.95%13,3065.37%9853.92%82,9915.63%104,0055.72%
Total$6,8167.88%$80,5712.25%$117,5222.59%$267,5944.05%$472,5033.42%

Table 3, previously presented, shows the two-year trend of average balances and yields on the investment portfolio. The tax-equivalent yield on the portfolio increased from 2.46% in 2022 to 3.55% in 2023. U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities and municipal bonds continue to comprise the largest sectors by fair value of the portfolio, approximately 28% and 29% respectively. The

27

Table of Contents

Bank expects that the portfolio will continue to remain concentrated in these investment sectors. The portfolio returned $72.4 million of principal cash flow in 2023 while $50.3 million was invested into the portfolio during the year.

Municipal Bonds: This sector holds $138.6 million or 29% of the total portfolio and the amortized cost decreased by $24.7 million year over year. The Bank’s municipal bond portfolio is well diversified geographically and is comprised of both tax-exempt (35% of the portfolio) and taxable (65% of the portfolio) municipal bonds. Sixty-nine percent of the portfolio are general obligation bonds and thirty-two percent are revenue bonds. The portfolio holds bonds from 154 issuers within 34 states. The largest dollar exposures are in the states of Texas (15%), California (13%) and Pennsylvania (12%). When purchasing municipal bonds, the Bank looks primarily to the underlying credit of the issuer as a sign of credit quality and then to any credit enhancement. The entire portfolio is rated “A” or higher by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.

Corporate Bonds: This sector is comprised primarily of $19.2 million of subordinate debt from 44 different community bank issuers.

Agency Mortgage & Asset-backed Securities (MBS): This sector holds $132.6 million, or 28%, of the total portfolio. This sector is comprised of bonds issued and guaranteed by the U.S. Government, a U.S. Government Agency, or a government sponsored entity securitized by pools of residential mortgages and other loan assets.

Non-Agency Mortgage & Asset-backed Securities (ABS): This sector holds $104.0 million, or 22%, of the total portfolio. This sector is comprised of senior private label first-lien commercial and residential mortgages. As senior position bonds, they benefit from credit support in the form of junior tranches and reserve funds that absorb loss prior to the senior bonds. This sector has $83.0 million of its fair value investment grade rated by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations while $21.0 million of its fair value is nonrated.

Impairment: For securities with an unrealized loss, the Bank considers: (1) the extent to which the fair value is less than amortized cost; (2) adverse conditions specifically related to the security, industry or geographic area; (3) the payment structure of the debt security and the likelihood of the issuer being able to make payments that increase in the future; (4) failure of the issuer of the security to make scheduled interest or principal payments; and (5) any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency. In addition, the Bank considers whether it intends to sell these securities or whether it will be forced to sell these securities before the earlier of amortized cost recovery or maturity. The Bank does not have the intent to sell and does not believe it will more likely than not be required to sell any of these securities prior to a recovery of their fair value to amortized cost. The impairment identified on debt securities and subject to evaluation at December 31, 2023, was determined not to be attributable to credit related factors; therefore, the Bank does not have an allowance for credit loss for these investments. During 2023, $40.1 million of securities were sold as part of a portfolio restructuring to take advantage of higher market interest rates. The realized loss on these sales was $1.1 million.

Equity Securities at Fair Value

The Corporation owns one equity investment with a readily determinable fair value. At December 31, 2023, this investment was reported at fair value ($427 thousand) with changes in value reported through income in 2023.

Restricted Stock at Cost

The Bank held $2.4 million of restricted stock at the end of 2023 of which $2.4 million is stock in the FHLB, carried at a cost of $100 per share. FHLB stock is evaluated for impairment primarily based on an assessment of the ultimate recoverability of its cost. As a government sponsored entity, FHLB has the ability to raise funding through the U.S. Treasury that can be used to support its operations. There is not a public market for FHLB stock and the benefits of FHLB membership (e.g., liquidity and low-cost funding) add value to the stock beyond purely financial measures. If FHLB stock were deemed to be impaired, the write-down for the Bank could be significant. Management intends to remain a member of the FHLB and believes that it will be able to fully recover the cost basis of this investment.

Loans:

The loan portfolio increased by 19.6% ($205.9 million) in 2023, due primarily to an increase of $139.5 million in commercial real estate loans. Average gross loans for 2023 increased by $111.3 million to $1.144 billion. Commercial, mortgage and consumer loans showed an increase in average balances during the year, which was partially offset by a decline in home equity loans and lines of credit and construction loans. The yield on the portfolio increased in 2023 to 5.16% from 4.14% in 2022. Table 3, previously presented, shows the average balances and yields earned on loans for the past two years.

28

Table of Contents

The following table shows loans outstanding, by class, as of December 31 for the past 2 years.

Table 8. Loan Portfolio

Change
(Dollars in thousands)20232022Amount%
Residential real estate 1-4 family
Consumer first lien$142,017$85,166$56,85166.8
Commercial first lien63,27161,7021,5692.5
Total first liens205,288146,86858,42039.8
Consumer junior lien and lines of credit68,75269,561(809)(1.2)
Commercial junior liens and lines of credit3,8094,127(318)(7.7)
Total junior liens and lines of credit72,56173,688(1,127)(1.5)
Total residential real estate 1-4 family277,849220,55657,29326.0
Residential real estate construction
Consumer13,83713,908(71)(0.5)
Commercial12,06310,4851,57815.1
Total residential real estate construction25,90024,3931,5076.2
Commercial real estate703,767564,291139,47624.7
Commercial242,654235,6027,0523.0
Total commercial946,421799,893146,52818.3
Consumer6,8156,1996169.9
Total loans1,256,9851,051,041205,94419.6
Less: Allowance for loan losses(16,052)(14,175)(1,877)13.2
Net loans$1,240,933$1,036,866$204,06719.7

Residential real estate: This category is comprised of first lien loans and, to a lesser extent, junior liens and lines of credit secured by residential real estate, as well as loans made to individuals secured by unimproved noncommercial real estate. Total residential real estate loans increased $57.3 million in 2023, primarily in consumer first lien loans. In 2023, the Bank originated $92.4 million in mortgages compared to $81.7 million in 2022, including approximately $14.0 million for sale in the secondary market. The Bank does not originate or hold any loans that would be considered sub-prime or Alt-A and does not generally originate mortgages outside of its primary market area.

Commercial purpose loans in this category represent loans made for various business needs but are secured with residential real estate. In addition to the real estate collateral, it is possible that additional security is provided by personal guarantees or UCC filings. These loans are underwritten as commercial loans and are not originated to be sold.

Residential real estate construction: The largest component of this category, $13.8 million, represents loans for individuals to construct personal residences, while loans to residential real estate developers and home builders totaled $12.1 million at December 31, 2023. The Bank’s exposure to residential construction loans is concentrated primarily in south central Pennsylvania. Real estate construction loans, including residential real estate and land development loans, occasionally provide an interest reserve in order to assist the developer during the development stage when minimal cash flow is generated.

Commercial real estate (CRE): This category includes commercial, industrial, and farm loans, where real estate serves as the primary collateral for the loan. This loan category increased by $139.5 million over the prior year. The largest sectors (by collateral) are: apartment buildings ($120.2 million), office buildings ($87.1 million), hotel & motel ($80.7 million) and shopping centers ($68.5 million). The majority of the Bank’s hotel and office building exposure is located throughout south-central Pennsylvania. The three largest growth sectors in 2023 were office buildings, apartment units and development land which totaled $71.0 million. Included in commercial real estate are approximately $522 million of nonowner occupied loans.

Also included in CRE are real estate construction loans totaling $131.9 million. At December 31, 2023, the Bank had $63.4 million in real estate construction loans funded with an interest reserve and capitalized $1.4 million of interest in 2023 from these reserves on active projects for commercial construction. Real estate construction loans are monitored on a regular basis by either an independent third-party inspector or the assigned loan officer depending on loan amount or complexity of the project. This monitoring

29

Table of Contents

process includes, at a minimum, the submission of invoices or AIA documents (depending on the complexity of the project) detailing costs incurred by the borrower, on-site inspections, and a signature by the assigned loan officer for disbursement of funds. All real estate construction loans are underwritten in the same manner, regardless of the use of an interest reserve.

Commercial: This category includes commercial, industrial, farm, agricultural, and tax-free loans. Collateral for these loans may include business assets or equipment, personal guarantees, or other non-real estate collateral. Commercial loans increased $7.1 million over the 2022 ending balance. At December 31, 2023, the Bank had approximately $113 million of tax-free loans in its portfolio. The largest sectors (by industry) are: public administration ($44.7 million), utilities ($42.0 million) real estate, rental and leasing ($25.0 million) and retail trade ($18.6 million). This category also includes $57 thousand of PPP loans that are 100% guaranteed by the SBA, compared to $179 thousand at December 31, 2022.

Participations: At December 31, 2023, the outstanding commercial participations were $97.8 million (9.5% of commercial purpose loans and 7.8% of total gross loans), compared to $70.6 million (8.1% of commercial purpose loans and 6.7% of total gross loans) at the prior year-end. The Bank’s total exposure (including unfunded commitments) to purchased participations was $135.4 million at December 31, 2023 and $90.0 million at December 31, 2022. The loan participations are comprised of $26.0 million of commercial loans and $71.8 million of CRE loans, reported in the respective loan segment.

Consumer loans: This category is comprised of installment loans and personal lines of credit and increased $616 thousand in 2023 over 2022 ending balances.

Table 9. Maturities and Interest Rate Terms of Selected Loans

The following table presents the stated maturities (or earlier call dates) of selected loans as of December 31, 2023.

Less thanOver
(Dollars in thousands)1 year1-5 years5-15 years15 yearsTotal
Loans:
Residential real estate 1-4 family
Fixed rate$2,510$10,270$45,746$16,016$74,542
Variable rate2,84613,21856,210131,033203,307
5,35623,488101,956147,049277,849
Residential real estate construction
Fixed rate13913,69813,837
Variable rate6,1015,25171112,063
6,2405,25171113,69825,900
Commercial real estate
Fixed rate4,25071,34078,590154,180
Variable rate45,279120,964319,88963,455549,587
49,529192,304398,47963,455703,767
Commercial
Fixed rate1,75342,37255,32636699,817
Variable rate43,21419,60631,88948,128142,837
44,96761,97887,21548,494242,654
Consumer
Fixed rate1012,4195171,5664,603
Variable rate8763569802,212
9772,7751,4971,5666,815
$107,069$285,796$589,858$274,262$1,256,985

Loan Quality:

Management utilizes a risk rating scale ranging from 1-Prime to 9-Loss to evaluate loan quality. This risk rating scale is used primarily for commercial purpose loans. Consumer purpose loans are identified as either a pass or substandard rating based on the performance status of the loans. Substandard consumer loans are loans that are 90 days or more past due and still accruing. Loans rated 1 – 4 are considered pass credits. Loans that are rated 5-Pass Watch are credits that have been identified as credits that are likely to warrant additional attention and monitoring. Loans rated 6-Other Asset Especially Mentioned (OAEM) or worse begin to receive enhanced monitoring and reporting by the Bank. Loans rated 7-Substandard or 8-Doubtful exhibit the greatest financial weakness and present the greatest possible risk of loss to the Bank. Nonaccrual loans are rated no better than 7-Substandard. The following represent some of the factors used in determining the risk rating of a borrower: cash flow, debt coverage, liquidity, management, and

30

Table of Contents

collateral. Risk ratings, for pass credits, are generally reviewed annually for term debt and at renewal for revolving or renewing debt. The Bank monitors overall loan quality of the portfolio by reviewing three primary measurements: (1) loans rated 6-OAEM or worse (collectively “watch list”), (2) delinquent loans, and (3) net-charge-offs.

Watch list loans exhibit financial weaknesses that increase the potential risk of default or loss to the Bank. However, inclusion on the watch list, does not by itself, mean a loss is certain. The watch list includes both performing and nonperforming loans. Watch list loans totaled $17.2 million at year-end compared to $11.6 million one year earlier. Included in the watch list are $147 thousand of nonaccrual loans at year-end 2023, compared to $120 thousand at year-end 2022. The composition of the watch list (loans rated 6, 7 or 8), by primary collateral, is shown in Note 6 of the accompanying financial statements.

Delinquent loans are a result of borrowers’ cash flow and/or alternative sources of cash being insufficient to repay loans. The Bank’s likelihood of collateral liquidation to repay the loans becomes more probable the further behind a borrower falls, particularly when loans reach 90 days or more past due. Management monitors the performance status of loans by the use of an aging report. The aging report can provide an early indicator of loans that may become severely delinquent and possibly result in a loss to the Bank. See Note 6 in the accompanying financial statements for information on the aging of payments in the loan portfolio.

Nonaccruing loans generally represent Management’s determination that the borrower will be unable to repay the loan in accordance with its contractual terms and that collateral liquidation may or may not fully repay both interest and principal. It is the Bank’s policy to evaluate the probable collectability of principal and interest due under terms of loan contracts for all loans 90-days or more, nonaccrual loans, or impaired loans. Further, it is the Bank’s policy to discontinue accruing interest on loans that are not adequately secured and in the process of collection. Upon determination of nonaccrual status, the Bank subtracts any current year accrued and unpaid interest from its income, and any prior year accrued and unpaid interest from the allowance for loan losses. Management continually monitors the status of nonperforming loans, the value of any collateral and potential for risk of loss. Nonaccrual loans are rated no better than 7-Substandard.

The Bank’s Loan Management Committee reviews these loans and risk ratings on a quarterly basis in order to proactively identify and manage problem loans. In addition, a committee meets monthly to discuss possible workout strategies for all credits rated 7-Substandard or worse. Management also tracks other commercial loan risk measurements including high loan to value loans, concentrations, participations and policy exceptions and reports these to the Board Enterprise Risk Management Committee of the Board of Directors. The Bank also uses an external loan review consultant to assist with internal loan review with a goal of reviewing up to 80% of commercial loans each year. The FDIC defines certain supervisory loan-to-value lending limits. The Bank’s internal loan–to-value limits are all equal to or have a lower loan-to-value limit than the supervisory limits. However, in certain instances, the Bank may make a loan that exceeds the supervisory loan-to-value limit. At December 31, 2022, the Bank had loans of $13.7 million (1.1% of gross loans) that exceeded the supervisory loan-to value limit, compared to 1.2% at the prior year end.

Loan quality, as measured by nonaccrual loans, totaled $147 thousand at December 31, 2023 compared to $120 thousand at December 31, 2022 and the nonperforming loan to total loans ratio was 0.01% at December 31, 2023 and 2022. Loans past due 90-days or more, but still accruing, totaled $5 thousand at December 31, 2023.

In addition to monitoring nonaccrual loans, the Bank also closely monitors loans to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Bank will be unable to collect all interest and principal payments due according to the originally contracted terms of the loan agreement.

Modifications to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty may include interest rate reductions, principal or interest forgiveness, forbearances, term extensions, and other actions intended to minimize economic loss and to avoid foreclosure or repossession of collateral.

Allowance for Credit Losses:

Allowance for Credit Losses – Loans

The ACL for loans is established through provisions for credit losses charged against income. Loans deemed to be uncollectible are charged against the ACL, and subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the ACL.

The ACL for loans is an estimate of the losses expected to be realized over the life of the loan portfolio. The ACL is determined for two distinct categories of loans: 1) loans evaluated individually for expected credit losses (specific reserve), and 2) loans evaluated collectively for expected credit losses (pooled reserve). Management’s periodic evaluation of the adequacy of the ACL for loans is based on the Bank’s past loan loss experience, known and inherent risks in the portfolio, adverse situations that may affect the borrower’s ability to repay, the estimated value of any underlying collateral, composition of the loan portfolio, current economic forecasts and conditions, diversification of the loan portfolio, delinquency statistics, results of internal loan reviews, borrowers’ actual or perceived financial and managerial strengths, and other relevant factors. This evaluation is inherently subjective, as it requires

31

Table of Contents

material assumptions and estimates that may be susceptible to significant change, including the amounts and timing of future cash flows expected to be received on loans evaluated individually.

Loans evaluated individually for credit losses are primarily commercial purpose loans that do not share similar characteristics with those loans evaluated in the pool. These loans may exhibit performance characteristics where it is probable that the Bank will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. All commercial purpose loans greater than $250 thousand and rated Substandard (7), Doubtful (8) or on nonaccrual status may be considered for individual evaluation. Impairment is measured on a loan-by-loan basis by one of the following methods: the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent, the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate or the loan’s obtainable market price. Commercial purpose loans with a balance less than $250 thousand, and consumer purpose loans are not evaluated individually for a specific reserve but are included in the pooled reserve calculation. Loans that are evaluated for a specific reserve, but not needing a specific reserve are not included in the pooled reserve calculation.

The Corporation has elected to exclude accrued interest receivable from the measurement of the ACL. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, any outstanding current accrued interest is reversed against income and prior year accrued interest is deducted from the ACL.

The pooled reserve represents the ACL for pools of homogenous loans, not evaluated individually. The pooled reserve is calculated using a quantitative and qualitative component for the loan pools.

The following inputs are used to calculate the quantitative component for the loan pool:

Segregating loans into homogeneous pools by the FRB Call Code which is primarily a collateral-based and secondarily a purpose-based segmentation.

The average remaining life of each pool is calculated using the weighted average remaining maturity method (WARM). The WARM method produces an estimated remaining balance by pool, by year, until maturity.

A historical credit loss rate is calculated for each pool, using the average historical loss, by FRB Call Code, for a peer group of Pennsylvania community banks over the last eight quarters. The loss rate is calculated over a historical period the Bank believes best represents a period, based on a reasonable and supportable forecast, that will be similar to the next four quarters.

The historical credit loss rate is applied to each WARM bucket though the initial four quarter forward-looking period.

At the end of the forward-looking period, the credit loss rate applied to each WARM bucket reverts to the peer group historical loss rate for the respective pool.

Collectively these estimated losses represent the quantitative component of the pooled reserve.

The qualitative component for the pool utilizes a risk matrix comprised of eight risk factors and assigns a risk level to each factor. The risk factors give consideration to changes in: lending policy, procedures and practice; economic conditions; nature and volume of loans; experience of lending team; volume of past due loans; quality of the loan review system; concentrations of credit; and other external factors. The risk factors are weighted to reflect Management’s estimate of how the factor affects potential losses. The risk levels within each factor are measured in basis points and range from minimal risk to very high risk and are determined independently for commercial loans, residential mortgage loans and consumer loans.

The ACL for pooled loans is the sum of the quantitative and qualitative loss estimates.

Allowance for Credit Losses – Unfunded Commitments

The ACL for unfunded commitments is recorded in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. The ACL represents management’s estimate of expected losses from unfunded commitments and is determined by estimating future usage of the commitments, based on historical usage. The estimated loss is calculated in a manner similar to that used for the ACL for loans, previously described. The ACL is increased or decreased through the provision for credit losses.

32

Table of Contents

The following table shows the allocation of the allowance for loan losses and other loan performance ratios, by class, as of December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Table 10. Loan Performance Ratios

(Dollars in thousands)Residential Real Estate 1-4 Family
Junior Liens &Commercial
First LiensLines of CreditConstructionReal EstateCommercialConsumerUnallocatedTotal
2023
Loans at December 31, 2023$205,288$72,561$25,900$703,767$242,654$6,815$$1,256,985
Average Loans for 2023173,98672,62321,124626,817243,0456,2851,143,880
Nonaccrual Loans at December 31, 2023147147
Allowance for Credit Losses at December 31, 20231,29641929610,6573,2909416,052
Net Recoveries/(Charge-offs) for 20232491(193)(35)(176)
Loans/Total Gross Loans at December 31, 202316%6%2%56%19%1%100%
Nonaccrual Loans/Total Gross Loans at December 31, 20230.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.06%0.00%0.01%
Allowance for Credit Loss/Gross Loans at December 31, 20230.63%0.58%1.14%1.51%1.36%1.38%1.28%
Net Recoveries (Charge-offs)/Average Loans for 20230.00%0.00%0.23%0.00%-0.08%-0.56%-0.02%
Allowance for Credit Loss/Nonaccrual Loans at December 31, 202310,919.73%
2022
Loans at December 31, 2022$146,868$73,688$24,393$564,291$235,602$6,199$$1,051,041
Average Loans for 2022139,57773,20021,737550,772241,3955,9381,032,619
Nonaccrual Loans at December 31, 2022120120
Allowance for Loan Losses at December 31, 20224592343437,4934,84613366714,175
Net Recoveries/(Charge-offs) for 2022282(1,450)(45)(76)(1,541)
Loans/Total Gross Loans at December 31, 202214%7%2%54%22%1%100%
Nonaccrual Loans/Total Gross Loans at December 31, 20220.08%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.01%
Allowance for Loan Loss/Gross Loans at December 31, 20220.32%0.32%1.41%1.32%2.06%2.15%1.35%
Net Recoveries (Charge-offs)/Average Loans for 20220.02%0.00%0.00%-0.26%-0.02%-1.28%-0.15%
Allowance for Loan Loss/Nonaccrual Loans at December 31, 202211,812.50%

Goodwill:

The Bank has $9.0 million of goodwill recorded on its balance sheet as the result of corporate acquisitions. Goodwill is not amortized, nor deductible for tax purposes. However, goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually in accordance with ASC Topic 350. Goodwill was tested for impairment as of August 31, 2023. The 2023 test was conducted using a qualitative assessment method that requires the use of significant assumptions in order to make a determination of impairment. These assumptions may include, but are not limited to: macroeconomic factors, banking industry conditions, banking merger and acquisition trends, the Bank’s historical financial performance, the Corporation’s stock price, forecast Bank financial performance, and change of control premiums. Management determined the Bank’s goodwill was likely not impaired in 2023 and did not make a further assessment.

The 2022 impairment test was also conducted using a qualitative assessment and Management determined the Bank’s goodwill was likely not impaired in 2022 and did not make a further assessment.

At December 31, 2023, Management subsequently considered certain qualitative factors affecting the Corporation and determined that it was not likely that the results of the prior test had changed, and it determined that goodwill was not impaired at year-end.

33

Table of Contents

Deposits:

The Bank depends on deposits generated in the normal course of business as its primary source of funds. The Bank offers numerous deposit products including demand deposits (noninterest and interest-bearing accounts), savings, money management accounts, and time deposits (certificates of deposits/CDs) to retail, commercial, and municipal customers. Table 11 shows a comparison of the major deposit categories over a two-year period at December 31. Table 3, presented previously, shows the average balance of the major deposit categories and the average cost of these deposits over a two-year period.

Table 11. Deposits

Change
(Dollars in thousands)20232022Amount%
Noninterest-bearing checking$273,050$299,231$(26,181)(8.7)
Interest-bearing checking454,517496,533(42,016)(8.5)
Money management572,058569,5852,4730.4
Savings105,907128,709(22,802)(17.7)
Time deposits132,44657,39075,056130.8
Total$1,537,978$1,551,448$(13,470)(0.9)

Noninterest-bearing checking: This category decreased $26.2 million while the average balance decreased by $13.1 million for the year. As a noninterest bearing account, these deposits contributed approximately 36 basis points to the net interest margin.

Interest-bearing checking: This category saw a decrease of $42.0 million in the ending balance compared to the prior year and a decrease of $84.1 million compared to the prior year average primarily in retail accounts in 2023. The cost of these accounts increased by 29 basis points.

Money management: The year over year balance increased $2.5 million and the average balance decreased $20.2 million compared to the 2022 average balance. The cost of this product increased by 200 basis points during the year as market rates increased.

Savings: Savings accounts decreased $22.8 million during the year. The cost of this product increased by 8 basis points during the year as market rates increased.

Time deposits: Time deposits increased by $75.1 million in 2023 with an increase in the average balance of $27.2 million as customers locked in higher interest rates. The cost of these accounts increased from .46% to 3.04% as market rates increased. Included in this category is $8.7 million of brokered CDs.

Reciprocal deposits: At year-end 2023, the Bank had $237.8 million placed in the IntraFi Network deposit program ($137.8 million in interest-bearing checking and $100.0 million in money management) and $6.4 million of time deposits placed into the CDARS program. These programs allow the Bank to offer full FDIC coverage to large depositors, but with the convenience to the customer of only having to deal with one bank. The Bank solicits these deposits from within its market and it believes they present no greater risk than any other local deposit. Only reciprocal deposits that exceed 20% of liabilities are considered brokered deposits. At December 31, 2023, the Bank’s reciprocal deposits were 15.5% of total liabilities.

The Bank continually reviews different methods of funding growth that include traditional deposits and other wholesale sources. Competition from other local financial institutions, internet banks, credit unions and brokerages will continue to be a challenge for the Bank in its efforts to attract new and retain existing deposit accounts. This competition is not expected to lessen in the future.

Uninsured deposits: Aggregate estimated uninsured deposits at December 31, 2023 were $299.9 million (19.5% of total deposits) compared to $299.2 million (19.3% of total deposits) at December 31, 2022. Certain Bank deposits may not be insured but are fully collateralized by other assets. The Bank estimates that approximately 91% of its deposits are FDIC insured or collateralized as of December 31, 2023.

34

Table of Contents

At December 31, 2023, time deposits in excess of the FDIC insurance limit and time deposits that are otherwise uninsured by maturity were as follows:

Table 12. Time Deposits of $250,000 or More

(Dollars in thousands)Individual Instruments that Meet or Exceed FDIC Insurance LimitTime Deposits that Meet or Exceed FDIC Insurance Limit
Maturity distribution:
Within three months$21,544$17,294
Over three through six months8,7546,004
Over six through twelve months9,6267,126
Over twelve months4,4751,475
Total$44,399$31,899

Borrowings:

Short-term Borrowings: At December 31, 2023, the Bank had $90.0 million borrowed from the Federal Reserve’s Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) to temporarily support its liquidity position and $40.0 million in short-term borrowing from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLB). The BTFP borrowing is comprised of $50.0 million with a rate of 4.38% due March 22, 2024, $20.0 million with a rate of 4.71% due May 10, 2024, and $20.0 million with a rate of 4.93% due December 13, 2024. At December 31, 2023, the fair value of debt securities pledged for the BTFP was $88.4 million. The FHLB borrowings have a blended rate of 5.80% and are due during the third quarter of 2024.

Long-term Debt: On August 4, 2020, the Corporation completed the sale of a subordinated debt note offering. The Corporation sold $15.0 million of subordinated debt notes with a maturity date of September 1, 2030. These notes are noncallable for 5 years and carry a fixed interest rate of 5% per year for 5 years and then convert to a floating rate of SOFR plus 4.93% per year for the remainder of the term. The notes can be redeemed at par beginning 5 years prior to maturity. The Corporation also sold $5.0 million of subordinated debt notes with a maturity date of September 1, 2035. These notes are noncallable for 10 years and carry a fixed interest rate of 5.25% per year for 10 years and then convert to a floating rate of SOFR plus 4.92% per year for the remainder of the term. The notes can be redeemed at par beginning 5 years prior to maturity. The notes are structured to qualify as Tier 2 capital for the Corporation and any funds it invests in the Bank qualify as Tier 1 capital at the Bank. The Corporation paid an issuance fee of 2% of the total issue is being amortized to the maturity date of each issue on a pro-rata basis. The notes are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet net of unamortized debt issuance costs. The proceeds are intended to be used for general corporate purposes.

Subsequent to year-end 2023, the Bank borrowed $200 million in a term loan from FHLB for three years at a rate of 4.32%. The term loan was taken to restructure borrowings and to fund expected loan growth. In addition, two outstanding borrowings under the BTFP due in 2024 were refinanced in the amount of $40 million at a fixed rate of 4.81% extending the maturity date to January 2025.

Shareholders’ Equity:

Shareholders’ equity increased by $17.9 million to $132.1 million at December 31, 2023. Retained earnings increased $8.1 million in 2023 from earnings of $13.6 million offset by dividends paid of $5.6 million ($1.28 per share). The dividend payout ratio was 40.2% in 2023 compared to 37.9% in 2022.

The Board of Directors frequently authorizes the repurchase of the Corporation’s $1.00 par value common stock. Information regarding stock repurchase plans in place during the year are included in Item 5 Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities. Additional information on Shareholders’ Equity is reported in Note 20 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

The Corporation’s dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) allows for shareholders to purchase additional shares of the Corporation’s common stock by reinvesting cash dividends paid on their shares or through optional cash payments. The Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) added $1.4 million to capital during 2023. This total was comprised of $1.0 million from the reinvestment of quarterly dividends and $312 thousand of optional cash purchases.

A strong capital position is important to the Corporation as it provides a solid foundation for the future growth of the Corporation, as well as instills confidence in the Bank by depositors, regulators and investors, and is considered essential by Management. The Corporation is continually exploring other sources of capital as part of its capital management plan for the Corporation and the Bank.

35

Table of Contents

Common measures of adequate capitalization for banking institutions are capital ratios. These ratios indicate the proportion of permanently committed funds to the total asset base. Guidelines issued by federal and state regulatory authorities require both banks and bank holding companies to meet minimum leverage capital ratios and risk-based capital ratios.

The leverage ratio compares Tier 1 capital to average assets while the risk-based ratio compares Tier 1 and total capital to risk-weighted assets and off-balance-sheet activity in order to make capital levels more sensitive to the risk profiles of individual banks. Tier 1 capital is comprised of common stock, additional paid-in capital, retained earnings and components of other comprehensive income, reduced by goodwill and other intangible assets. Total capital is comprised of Tier 1 capital plus the allowable portion of the allowance for loan losses.

The Corporation, as a bank holding company, is required to comply with the capital adequacy standards established by Federal Reserve Board. The Bank is required to comply with capital adequacy standards established by the FDIC. In addition, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking also requires state-chartered banks to maintain a 6% leverage capital level and 10% risk-based capital, defined substantially the same as the federal regulations.

The Corporation and the Bank are subject to the capital requirements contained in the regulation generally referred to as Basel III. The Basel III standards were effective for the Corporation and the Bank, effective January 1, 2015. Basel III imposes significantly higher capital requirements and more restrictive leverage and liquidity ratios than those previously in place. The capital ratios to be considered “well capitalized” under Basel III are: (1) Common Equity Tier 1(CET1) of 6.5%, (2) Tier 1 Leverage of 5%, (3) Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital of 8%, and (4) Total Risk-Based Capital of 10%. The CET1 ratio is a new capital ratio under Basel III and the Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8% has been increased from 6%. The rules also included changes in the risk weights of certain assets to better reflect credit and other risk exposures. In addition, a capital conservation buffer of 2.50% is applicable to all of the capital ratios except for the Tier 1 Leverage ratio. The capital conservation buffer is equal to the lowest value of the three applicable capital ratios less the regulatory minimum (“adequately capitalized”) for each respective capital measurement. The Bank’s capital conservation buffer at December 31, 2023 was 5.63%. Compliance with the capital conservation buffer is required in order to avoid limitations on certain capital distributions, especially dividends. As of December 31, 2023, the Bank was “well capitalized’ under the Basel III requirements.

In 2019, the Community Bank Leverage Ratio (CBLR) was approved by federal banking agencies as an optional capital measure available to Qualifying Community Banking Organizations (QCBO). If a bank qualifies as a QCBR and maintains a CBLR of 9% or greater, the bank would be considered “well-capitalized” for regulatory capital purposes and exempt from complying with the Basel III risk-based capital rule. The CBLR rule was effective January 1, 2020 and banks could opt-in through an election in the first quarter 2020 regulatory filings. The Bank meets the criteria of a QCBO but did not opt-in to the CBLR.

The consolidated asset limit on small bank holding companies is $3 billion and a company with assets under that limit is not subject to the consolidated capital rules but may file reports that include capital amounts and ratios. The Corporation has elected to file those reports.

The following table presents capital ratios for the Corporation and Bank at December 31:

Table 13. Capital Ratios

20232022
CorporationBankCorporationBank
Common Equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio11.82%12.38%14.22%14.63%
Total risk-based capital ratio14.45%13.63%17.21%15.88%
Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio11.82%12.38%14.22%14.63%
Tier 1 leverage ratio9.01%9.44%8.95%9.21%

For additional information on capital adequacy refer to Note 2 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Local Economy

The Corporation’s primary market area includes Franklin, Fulton, Cumberland, Huntingdon, and Dauphin County, PA, and Washington County, MD. This area is diverse in demographic and economic composition. County populations range from a low of approximately 15,000 in Fulton County to over 280,000 in Dauphin County. The market area has a diverse economic base and local industries include warehousing, truck and rail shipping centers, light and heavy manufacturers, health care, higher education institutions, farming and agriculture, and a varied service sector. The market area provides easy access to the major metropolitan markets on the east coast via trucking and rail transportation. Because of this, warehousing and distribution companies continue to find the area attractive. The local economy is not overly dependent on any one industry or business and Management believes that the

36

Table of Contents

Bank’s primary market area continues to be well suited for growth. The following provides selected economic data for the Bank’s primary market at December 31:

Economic Data

20232022
Unemployment Rate (seasonally adjusted)
Market area range (1)2.4% - 3.5%2.4% - 4.1%
Pennsylvania3.4%4.0%
Maryland1.7%4.3%
United States3.7%3.7%
Housing Price Index - year over year change
PA, nonmetropolitan statistical area4.6%14.3%
United States4.8%16.6%
Building Permits - year over year change -12 months
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA, Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA MSA and Hagerstown, MD MSA
Residential, estimated-15.4%-3.6%
Multifamily, estimated-50.7%260.9%
(1) Franklin, Cumberland, Fulton and Huntingdon County, PA and Washington County, MD

The assets and liabilities of the Corporation are financial in nature, as such, the pricing of products, customer demand for certain types of products, and the value of assets and liabilities are greatly influenced by interest rates. As such, interest rates and changes in interest rates may have a more significant effect on the Corporation’s financial results than on other types of industries. Because of this, the Corporation watches the actions of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) as it makes decisions about interest rate changes and monetary policy. In February 2024, the FOMC release included this: “Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace. Job gains have moderated since early last year but remain strong, and the unemployment rate has remained low. Inflation has eased over the past year but remains elevated. The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. The Committee judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are moving into better balance. The economic outlook is uncertain, and the Committee remains highly attentive to inflation risks. The Committee does not expect it will be appropriate to reduce the target range until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent. In addition, the Committee will continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities, as described in its previously announced plans. The Committee is strongly committed to returning inflation to its 2 percent objective.” Over the long-term, the Corporation benefits from higher interest rates.

Liquidity

The Corporation conducts substantially all of its business through its bank subsidiary. The liquidity needs of the Corporation are funded primarily by the bank subsidiary, supplemented with liquidity from its dividend reinvestment plan.

The Bank must meet the financial needs of the customers that it serves, while providing a satisfactory return on the shareholders’ investment. In order to accomplish this, the Corporation must maintain sufficient liquidity in order to respond quickly to the changing level of funds required for both loan and deposit activity. The goal of liquidity management is to meet the ongoing cash flow requirements of depositors who want to withdraw funds and of borrowers who request loan disbursements. The Bank regularly reviews its liquidity position by measuring its projected net cash flows (in and out) at a 30 and 90-day interval. The Bank stress tests this measurement by assuming a level of deposit out-flows that have not historically been realized. In addition to this forecast, other funding sources are reviewed as a method to provide emergency funding if necessary. The objective of this measurement is to identify the amount of cash that could be raised quickly without the need to liquidate assets. The Bank also stresses its liquidity position utilizing different longer-term scenarios. The varying degrees of stress create pressure on deposit flows in its local market, reduce access to wholesale funding and limit access of funds available through brokered deposit channels. In addition to stressing cash flow, specific liquidity risk indicators are monitored to help identify risk areas. This analysis helps identify and quantify the potential cash surplus/deficit over a variety of time horizons to ensure the Bank has adequate funding resources. Assumptions used for liquidity stress testing are subjective. Should an evolving liquidity situation or business cycle present new data, potential assumption changes will be considered. The Bank believes it can meet all anticipated liquidity demands.

Historically, the Bank has satisfied its liquidity needs from earnings, repayment of loans, amortizing and maturing investment securities, loan sales, deposit growth and its ability to access existing lines of credit. All investment securities are classified as available for sale; therefore, marketable securities that are unencumbered as collateral for borrowings are an additional source of

37

Table of Contents

readily available liquidity (approximately $164.8 million fair value), either by selling the security or, more preferably, to provide collateral for additional borrowing. The Bank also has access to other wholesale funding via the brokered CD market.

The FHLB system has always been a major source of funding for community banks. There are no indicators that lead the Bank to believe the FHLB will discontinue its lending function or restrict the Bank’s ability to borrow. If either of these events were to occur, it would have a material negative effect on the Bank, and it is highly unlikely that the Bank could replace the level of FHLB funding in a short time. The Bank has also established credit at the Federal Reserve Discount Window and unsecured lines of credit at correspondent banks.

The following table shows the Bank’s available liquidity at December 31, 2023.

(Dollars in thousands)
Liquidity SourceCapacityOutstandingAvailable
Federal Home Loan Bank$484,163$40,000$444,163
Federal Reserve Bank Discount Window55,49655,496
Fed Bank Term Funding Program91,73390,0001,733
Correspondent Banks56,00056,000
Total$687,392$130,000$557,392

Subsequent to year-end 2023, the Bank borrowed $200 million in a term loan from FHLB for three years at a rate of 4.32%. The term loan was taken to restructure borrowings and to fund expected loan growth.

Off Balance Sheet Commitments

The Corporation’s financial statements do not reflect various commitments that are made in the normal course of business, which may involve some liquidity risk. These commitments consist mainly of unfunded loans and letters of credit made under the same standards as on-balance sheet loans and lines of credit. Because these unfunded instruments have fixed maturity dates and many of them will expire without being drawn upon, they do not generally present any significant liquidity risk to the Corporation. At December 31, 2023, the ACL for unfunded commitments was $2.0 million compared to $1.5 million at December 31, 2022. The ACL for unfunded commitments is reported in Other Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

(Dollars in thousands)
Financial instruments whose contract amounts represent credit risk20232022
Commercial commitments to extend credit$325,982$275,867
Consumer commitments to extend credit (secured)112,15793,124
Consumer commitments to extend credit (unsecured)5,9645,247
$444,103$374,238
Standby letters of credit$19,851$30,734

Management believes that any amounts actually drawn upon can be funded in the normal course of operations. The Corporation has no investment in or financial relationship with any unconsolidated entities that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on liquidity.

Back to the FRAF company profile or the MD&A index.